It started three days ago on the nape of my neck one morning when woke up, at first it was mild itching with tiny pink bumps... and then the itch got worse and worse... then similar cluster appeared on my left upper arm--along with the same type of rough pink reddish bumps. My right upper arm is not affected (at least not yet).
A couple of hours later the itchy bumps appears on my upper back with pink reddish rough hard bumps all over... then later the itch on the upper back and nape of my neck stop--but all the bumps remains the same.
Shortly afterwards, a small 3 inches patch of reddish itchy bumps appeared on my right chest area right above the armpit. Hours later the same exact thing happened to my thigh and lower back area. That same night new reddish clusters with reddish bumps appeared on my inner tighs and buttock area, both are inflamed and extremely itchy on and off.
The itchy bumps are random in shapes (no puss, no water content, no blister), each bump is hard and it does not contain any liquid... and NO- the bumps don't have uniformed patterns like "chicken skin" (or Keratosis Pilaris). This whole ordeal is extremely disturbing and traumatic because my skin had always been flawless until 3 days ago! I've never even had any pimples my whole life!
I consider myself a pretty healthy female; I never smoke, I have zero soda intake, no alcohol, no drugs... although I admit I've been living an unhealthy life (not enough bottled-water, sleep deprived, sometimes no food/water for days in a row)
*My dietary intake is usually random: raw kale, cabbage, brocolli, beets, avocado, cilantro, garlic, onions, tomato, parsley, eggs, tea with Splenda only (lots of Splenda but no regular refined sugar), plain non-fat yoghurt, very rarely eat meat, very rarely eat fruits (due to its sugar content).
This crazy rash is now spreading all over my body in different sizes, small medium and large. The bumps seem to raise in size only when I scratch certain itchy area (*It's so itchy there's no way to handle it without scratching so the bumps instantly resize on and off whenever the itching sensation return to certain area)
The other reddish bumpy areas remain highly visible eventhough the itching sensation in those area temporarily disappeared, on and off within hours.
I have never had any allergic reaction to anything before. I had been exposed to heavy tanning in the past (both indoor and outdoor) but that was several years ago, and none of that recently.
*Lifestyle changes: I do not have any lifestyle changes recently. No changes in laundry detergent - clothes -fabric - soaps - shampoo or anything like that. No bug bites (at least not that I know of).
*Medications: I don't like taking medications. I have never been prescribed any meds or even the smallest dose of antidepression in my entire life. (I do get depressed from time to time during PMS cycle but nothing too severe, I'm also used to live in high stress and high anxiety environment)
*Personal hygiene: I always take a shower at least TWICE a day (it's a habit since childhood). Bathroom is always highly disinfected with Clorox and such. I do not wear latex product, pantyhose, tight clothes. I hardly ever sweat.
To combat the extreme itching sensation I am currently using topical analgesic ("clear formula itch relief" similar to Caladryl purchased from CVS pharmacy). The result is very helpful but it only provides "temporary relief" (1-2 hours max) -- in certain area the cluster becomes light pink with somewhat disappearing bumps (the bump flatten a little) when the itching sensation slows down -- in other areas such as around the nape of my neck and my upper back the clusters remain bumpy when less itchy (*the itchy bumps and the reddish/pink spot has not disappeared permanently)
I've cut all my finger-nails EXTRA short from day one to prevent skin ruptures, bleeding and/or scaring during scratching. Whenever I scratch the itchy area I always make sure to "massage" the area in circular motion only, most of the times I "scratch" the area using my knuckles-- but somehow in "some" area the cluster pattern showed up in strange shapes like thick criss-cross "lines" with tiny raised bumps precisely lining up on each individual line!) -- in other area such as on my upper arm (the outer part of my left bicep) the tiny reddish bumps look like some thick diaper rash with scattered bumps with no "lines.
The clusters got more red and very warm when the the area is very itchy!
TODAY, there is a new itchy reddish cluster with tiny bumps in the middle of my mid-back section, my left and right under armpit area, right ankle... AND a small cluster on my forehead! I am really terrified if it spread all over my face!!!!! :'-(
Just like the first clusters on the nape of my neck, upper back, and upper-arm... those recent raised itchy bumps also showed up before I "scratch" them... then, just like others the bumps flatten a little when the itching sensation temporary subsides and raised again when the area starts to get very itchy again within hours.
I am so sorry to rant and ramble on and on about my rash... they are not super gross looking and they don't have blisters or puss or anything like that... but the reddish patches are traumatic and the itchy sensation is INSANE!!!!!
I really don't know what to do with this... I saw online people with similar symptoms like mine also have been extremely frustrated with this unexplained phenomenon... almost all of them got misdiagnosed by Dermatologists...
I've been researching online and found a bunch of articles, but none is really "dead on" accurate with the symptoms that I am experiencing:
Polymorphic light eruption?
Keratosis Pilaris?
Urticaria?
Systemic Lupus?
Celiac Disease?
Doctors have been blaming my symptoms on "stress" and medical centers would instantly prescribe temporary relief with steroid injection -- which I am really trying to avoid.
PLEASE HELP ME... I don't know what I have... I'm so scared, it attacked all over my body parts and I am going crazy!!!
Any insights and advice are greatly appreciated. Thank you very much in advance.